


Heart and Home Threatened Again revised

by BettyHT



Series: You Can't Go Home Again [5]
Category: Bonanza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-24 14:54:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16177388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BettyHT/pseuds/BettyHT
Summary: The 5th story in the You Can't Go Home Again series.  An old nemesis comes back for revenge against Adam but which one from his past is it?  Adam is more vulnerable too with a wife and son to protect.





	Heart and Home Threatened Again revised

Heart and Home Threatened Again revised

chapter 1

The sky was all blue and pink as the sun was about to crest the mountains and the sunlight struck the high cirrus clouds. Spring was breaking out all over with trees budding out and grass shoots greening the slopes. Many animals were having their young in dens and birds were sitting on nests of eggs or feeding their tiny young ones. The streams and rivers flowed freely with icy cold clear water. Foals and calves were skipping next to their parents in the pastures of ranches and farms. The middle of April was a time of renewal and birth.

This peaceful and lush scenery of the Washoe was threatened by a new mining company that was being organized in Virginia City. The Enders Mining Company planned to buy out the under-producing claims of miners and mining companies and use hydraulic mining to get the sparse ore from those areas. Mary Enders had been talked into investing her wealth in this company but had little say in its activities. Mary would not have known what to do anyway in running the company. Her husband had invested in mining but had never shared his knowledge of mining with her. The men who wanted to use her wealth to plunder the land had convinced her with one main argument: the man most likely to challenge their activities was Adam Cartwright. All Mary lived for any more was the destruction of the man she blamed for the loss of her family. The man she should have blamed was her husband, but he was already as good as dead serving a life sentence with no hope of parole. Mary had chosen to remember only the best of Bill and ignore all that he did in order to be wealthy and that his life in prison was a result of his own actions. His vendetta against Adam and the conspiracy with Tom Burns had sealed his fate and made sure that there was never going to be a parole. Mary had gotten an early release from prison for her role but blames Adam for being there in the first place. Somewhat emotionally unstable anyway, the pressure Bill had put on her to participate in his conspiracy and then being convicted of a crime and sent to prison had finished her descent into mental illness. Her partners fed her hate and her delusions. Although they would not condone murder which she had suggested they do, there were other ways to destroy a man. Apparently Cartwright was happily married, so that would be their first target. Then they would destroy his reputation. If they could trigger that infamous temper of his, he might even help destroy himself.

Rarely venturing to town in winter, Adam was unaware of the development of this company for weeks. By April, as he accompanied Cici on one of her trips far out of town to deliver a baby, he had a long conversation with the woman's husband who had invested in a mine only to find his investment value plummet as the vein of silver in the mine was fully mined. Those who had invested in that mine had recently received an offer that was generous under the circumstances. Curious as to why, they had investigated to find that the prospective new owners planned to use hydraulic mining on that slope surrounding their worthless hole. The men who owned it were struggling with their consciences: they needed the money but hated what would happen if they sold out. Adam immediately made the man an offer for their claim that, while not as good as the Enders' offer, would allow them an option that was far more attractive. They shook hands and agreed on a time and place for the other owners to meet with Adam.

As Adam and Cici drove away in the early dawn, she could tell he was very disturbed by something. The birth had been breech and took much longer than expected, but he had dealt with that kind of situation before and had never complained. He had always said that her safety was more important than the time he had to spend with her as she worked. He only accompanied her on these long trips or when she was called on at night to help. Their baby was in the capable hands of Mrs. Bayer who was staying with them for the first six months or so of Davy's life. Her sole responsibility was Davy as there was a cook/housekeeper who did the rest. Therefore that could not be what worried him. This was the first work she had done since the birth, but he had not shown any reservations when they left the house summoned by the woman's husband. She needed to know what was bothering him.

"Are you going to tell me or do I have to play twenty questions?"

"There's more trouble with the mining. Enders."

"He's in prison. How could he be doing anything?"

"I don't know but Enders Mining Company is moving in and planning to do hydraulic mining. I'll be staying in town today. There are a lot of people I need to see."

"Wasn't your family expecting you to help today with the spring roundup?"

"This is more important. They'll understand. Spring roundup won't matter much if the streams and rivers get fouled with mining effluent and the slopes become susceptible to avalanches year round due to the lack of trees to hold everything in place."

"Are you in danger? The last time I heard the name Enders mentioned, it was you telling me of how you ended up in prison due to a conspiracy between him and Tom Burns."

"I have no way of knowing. I will be talking to Roy to see what he knows. At this point I suspect they may have plans for me again, but I have no idea what they are. I know you are going to worry, but I will be careful. As Sheriff, Roy can make some inquiries and get some answers before I do. I'll talk to our lawyer too to see if he can do some digging. We need to find out as much as we can."

"Perhaps you shouldn't be alone while you run these errands in town. You're too vulnerable alone."

Unwilling to admit it but knowing she was correct, Adam was quiet for a short time. "I'll ask Matt to come with me to town after I take you home."

"I need to go to the office too. I won't leave the office unless you come to get me. We all need to be careful."

Accepting that what Cici said made a great deal of sense, Adam thought a bit more about the situation. "Once I meet with some of the mine owners, I'll go see about transferring money from my accounts into the Ponderosa accounts so if I have to buy more mining claims to keep it away from Enders, I can. But I won't be able to buy them all so I need some of the other mine owners to step up and buy. If necessary, I may need to go to Carson City to enlist support from the bigger ranches there and mine owners as well. We all stand to lose a lot if the Enders Company does what it plans to do."

"I'm glad to see you plan to enlist help."

"I learned what happens when I am on my own. I'll need a lot of help though. I think with Enders that this is personal too."

"Naming the company that is like a slap in the face to you. They want you to know it's him. Someone is calling you out without doing so publicly."

"I think you're right about that. I should go tell my family what's going on as soon as I can too."

Adam and Cici had breakfast in town that morning after stopping at home for a short time. Matt rode into town with them but had a few errands to run before he came back to the restaurant. In the restaurant, both Adam and Cici were aware that they were receiving a lot of looks.

"Adam, why do people keep looking at me like I have a terminal illness?"

"Not sure because the looks I'm getting are ones that seem to wish I had a terminal illness. My bet is that whatever the Enders Company has planned has already started. I need to see Roy soon."

When Matt got back, Adam walked Cici to her office, and he and Matt proceeded to the Sheriff's Office. The looks the Adam and Cici got while walking to her office with Matt were the same as in the restaurant. As Adam walked with Matt later, he saw looks on the faces of a number of men who appeared to want to challenge him. Only his intimidating looks and reputation as well as Matt's presence prevented that from happening. When he arrived at Roy's office, Roy did not seem surprised.

"Well now, I was wondering how long it would take for you to get yourself in here."

"It would seem then that you have a better understanding of what's going on than I do. Care to enlighten me?"

"Mary Enders has been telling a nasty tale about you. She says you were her lover, and she was pressured to testify against her husband because of threats and promises you made. She said you never kept the promises to be with her and support her, and the baby you and she had died before birth."

"What? That's a damnable lie. What could she possibly hope to gain with such a story?"

The next thought that Adam had was a worry about what Cici would think when she heard this story. He needed to talk to her soon before irreparable damage was possibly done to their marriage. He had promised to tell her the truth about himself so he needed her to know that this was a lie. Mary's accusations against him years ago had been a ploy to try to save her husband. This new story was probably more of the same, but Cici could only know that if he told her about the original story in that kind of depth.

"Adam, I can imagine jest how ya feel, but you gotta hold that temper a yours in check or they're gonna git jest what they want. I think you oughta talk to your wife and then get out of town. Go on home to let things cool down a bit."

"I will talk with Cici. I just never expected this kind of attack on me. But I also have to meet with some mine owners before I leave town."

"Now see that's jest what they expect. You do that and they'll see what you're up to and there'll be more stories. Go home. Send messages and have the men meet you at your home. Matt here can handle a lot of that for ya, can't he? You ain't that far outta town and your cook makes some delicious food. That and you got some of the best brandy in the area. I expect they'll come ta see ya if they have any interest at all in helping ya or if they got any interest at all in hearing what ya got to say."

"Why didn't you come and tell me this story was going around?"

"We can't appear to be working together. I need them to think you're on your own so I can watch and see what they're gonna do next. If'n you was to walk outta here looking a might peeved that could help. They gotcha last time cause we didn't work together, but we gotta be clever about this until we see who is doing what. I've got Clem nosing around for me already, but these men are smart. They ain't hired no locals that they told anything to yet far as we know."

Adam nodded. There was some wisdom in Roy's strategy, and he realized it was his anger that was making him want to do something right away. He needed to calm himself and think this through thoroughly. His intellect was his advantage, and Roy was reminding him to use it. But that Cici could be hurt by this was eating at him already. He couldn't bear to think of losing her, and it appeared that was part of the plan against him because that story was the kind that was intended to damage his reputation and his marriage. He agreed to do as Roy asked. He walked out of the office in an apparent snit and headed to Cici's office with Matt heading off to talk to men on Adam's behalf. When Adam got to her office, Paul was talking with Cici. As soon as she saw Adam, she rushed into his arms.

"I don't believe any of it. I know you better than that."

Cici couldn't help it though. She started crying. Why they couldn't just get to enjoy being a family for a time was her main complaint. There was always something going on to threaten their peace and happiness. Turmoil seemed to be a way of life for Cartwrights. Adam told the whole story about Bill Enders then including how Mary had accused him of assaulting her in order to save her husband. An assault complaint versus a love affair was a big change in her story. Paul also mentioned that she was pregnant well before any of those accusations were made, and that she and Bill had been to the office together and were thrilled to be having a child. Paul didn't know why the baby had died but assumed the stress of everything that happened had contributed.

"Adam, can you set up an office for me at home? I don't want to come to town now. I can work out of the house for my patients who still want to see me. Then I can nurse Davy on a regular schedule as well."

"Yes, that's probably a good idea. For now, we can convert the study to an exam room. Later, if you want to continue your practice at home, I will build an exam room and office as an extension off the house."

Cici smiled again although a little sadly. She didn't like being forced into this decision even though they had discussed it before, and she was leaning toward doing it. This was the first time she realized Adam had been planning for the possibility. But she was feeling very comfortable with the move because it had been very hard last night to leave her two-month-old son to travel to help another woman birth her child. She knew she would still get some of those calls, but overall she would be able to spend a lot more time with her son.

"When do you want to move all of this?"

"Tomorrow would be a good day to do it. I have very few appointments scheduled because I was just getting back to work. Paul, I'll still come into town whenever you need me to assist in a surgery or you can call on me to help if you need me. But this office will be closed."

Following Roy's strategy, Adam stayed with Cici at her office letting Matt attend the meeting he had scheduled. There, a sales agreement was made that would have to be finalized with Adam at his house. Adam went to get the carriage, and when he returned, a distraught looking Cici came out and climbed in while he sat and waited for her. She wrapped her arms around herself in a very defensive posture as Adam drove the carriage out of town. Paul was impressed with their acting ability. Anyone seeing them without realizing what they had actually discussed would have seen a couple apparently very unhappy with each other after an argument. As Mary Enders watched from her hotel room, it was exactly what she thought. What was unexpected though was her sympathy for Cici. Mary understood what it was like to suffer because of what your husband had done. As quickly as that thought entered her head though, she dismissed it. It wouldn't do to think that way as it would get in the way of her satisfaction of taking revenge on Adam Cartwright. All those years ago, if he had only left everything alone, she would still have Bill and none of the intervening harm would have happened. To her mind therefore, he was responsible for all that had happened including her time in prison and she intended that he be made to suffer for it. After all, by her way of thinking, Toby was already dead by the time Adam interfered. His activity couldn't bring him back, so he did no good by what he did and accomplished a lot of harm. To her way of thinking, she was ridding society of a troublesome man who brought a lot of difficulties into the lives of others by his meddling.

 

Chapter 2

After dropping Cici at home and handing over the carriage and horses to Matt's care, Adam headed to the Ponderosa main house. He walked into the kitchen there because the men had not yet returned from roundup when he got there. Hop Sing was happy to provide him with something to eat because he had not had anything since breakfast. He took his plate and sat at the table in the kitchen where he ate and conversed with his old friend. His father and brothers found him there when they returned.

"Hey, Adam, we still got to talk about whether you still work for a living."

"Shur coulda used your help out there today."

Even though Adam appeared calm and unworried, something was obviously bothering him as he didn't take the bait with his brothers casting jibes his way. Cici's understanding and support had gone a long way into easing his mind. She trusted him. He could not love her more but he was willing to try. Now though he had to tell his family of what was happening with the Enders Mining Company. He expected his father to have a negative reaction over the long ago ride he had made to prove Bill could have committed that murder at Goat Station. His persistence in pursuing evidence against Bill had upset his father at the time, but had been Mary's damning words that got Bill convicted though.

"So much trouble and pain has been the result for you of that decision to go after Bill."

"Would it have been better to let him get away with murder? Didn't Toby's life have at least that much value?"

"Of course, I didn't mean to demean what you did. I only meant to say that it set in motion a lot of things that none of us could ever have imagined would come to pass. Surely you had no idea either the consequences of your decision to pursue proof of Bill's guilt."

"Pa, Adam had to do the right thing. Joe and me knew it then and helped him with that ride that proved Bill coulda done it."

All four were sobered by the discussion, but Hoss and Joe were ready to come to Adam's defense. They knew their brother and there was no other way for him to act in that situation. Their father still had trouble with accepting decisions his sons made and tended to ask a lot of questions. It put all of them on the defensive when he did that but none more so than Adam. None of them had any idea why that was. Ben had always expected a lot from Adam but always seemed to question he would do even more. Adam told them of the Enders Company plans and about the story Mary had been telling about him. He told them that he and Cici were all right, and that her office would be moved to their home and that probably it would be a permanent move. Then he left because he didn't want to leave her and Davy alone for long now. There was too much uncertainty of what was going on, and he had a number of messages to compose too so that Matt and Jed could deliver them the next day. He planned to follow Roy's advice and keep a low profile. Information needed to be gathered, and allies had to be lined up before they could formulate a plan and carry it out.

As he rode home though, Adam was on edge. He wondered if he had to worry about being bushwhacked. There was also a concern about what he would have to face next. The first salvos in the battle with the Enders Company had been well aimed. He hoped to be more ready for the next shots they took. Once he was home, he still found it was difficult to relax especially as he carefully worded messages to be sent to those he thought would be willing to help him against what the Enders Company had planned. He was concerned that he might have to go to Carson City to enlist more allies, which would leave Cici and Davy home alone although he could make sure that Matt and Jed were there to protect them.

Everything was weighing heavily on his mind when he entered the bedroom to find Cici nursing their son. No matter how many times he saw this, he never failed to be overwhelmed by emotion. He walked to the rocking chair and kissed Cici and kissed the top of his son's head. His son had been small at birth but was growing well. He had a head of dark fuzz and rosy cheeks with a dimple in each. He was slender but long so there was every indication he would resemble his father as an adult. Once Cici was done with the nursing, she handed Davy to his father. Adam sat in the rocker then and rocked his son so he could burp if needed and then fall asleep. When Cici handed him to him, he had taken his shirt off and loved the feel of his son against his chest. Cici prepared for bed and when she was done, she picked up their sleeping baby from Adam and placed him in the cradle near their bed. They should have at least four hours before he awoke hungry and wet. Mrs. Bayer helped with Davy during the day but the nights were still handled by Cici and Adam. Cici climbed into bed next to Adam.

"I am so tired. Starting the day in the middle of the night, delivering a baby, and everything that went on in town today has left me with little energy. I think I will sleep in tomorrow morning. After nursing Davy, I'll hand him over to Mrs. Bayer. She's like his grandmother."

"All right then, sleep it is."

Adam was going to roll on his side and go to sleep. Cici however began to kiss him.

"I thought you were tired."

"Not that tired. I need you. As long as I have you, I don't mind how it happens."

Not needing much encouragement, Adam began to kiss her as his hands roamed over now familiar spots. Cici groaned into him. He knew it was pleasure not pain and continued. They had moved into a very comfortable routine for nights like this so that both would enjoy the experience and be satisfied, but it would take less time than when they were feeling playful and adventurous. This night like most others, they fell asleep later in each other's embrace. Tomorrow would come soon enough, but for now, they had a peaceful rest. The first part of Mary's plan had failed although it would be some time before she knew that.

After Adam had left, Hoss felt it was time to discuss this trust issue with his father.

"Pa, why don't you trust Adam? You expect a lot from him, but you always seem to have something to say that shows you don't completely trust him. It's like you don't trust him like you trust us."

"It's not that I don't trust him. I only question him to find out what he's thinking and if he's sure of his decisions. My relationship with him is different than my relationship with you two. He was my partner more than my son for most of his life. He does things his own way and rarely confides in me. I don't know what he is thinking much of the time."

"But Pa, partners talk to each other and work together.

"I often learn things from him at the same time that you do. Just like today. Last year, he was married and didn't tell us until the morning after."

"And we talked about why Adam didn't tell you about the wedding. You were sleeping when they got here to tell ya. It ain't that."

"Now he has gone and bought mining property without telling me until it was done."

"He's the one in charge of the mines, and he used his own money to buy those properties in case we would not agree with what he did. But he bought them for the Ponderosa and to protect our water supplies. You don't need to be so upset with him. What happened to make the two of you at odds so often? It seems like it has always been this way or at least as long as I can remember."

Ben was quiet. He suspected he knew what had happened, and if he remembered his son's words correctly, there was no question about why it was different. But it would be very difficult to tell his sons what he had done. At some point they might learn about it from Adam especially now that Hoss was asking him. Why couldn't it just be forgotten? It was so long ago.

"Once when Adam was about sixteen, we argued about a trail drive. He was only sixteen and already ramrodding a drive. He felt I was undermining his authority and challenged me on it. I used my belt and disciplined him for disrespect. He didn't shed a tear. He stood and walked away without talking with me. When I called him to come back, he turned and asked if I would punish him again for not talking with him. He said if I planned on doing that, there would be many occasions for me to do just that."

"Pa, if you had done that to either of us, we would have been furious with ya too."

"The next day he got in a fight with one of the men who challenged his orders. He fought but couldn't win. The other man finally agreed to stop because Adam would not give up. He helped Adam get up and they shook hands. He could barely walk and I challenged him as to why he couldn't handle the situation better than that. He said that because of what I had done to him, he had no choice."

"Pa, you know that's the truth. I had to fight some of the men to earn my spot too. Hoss was always so big he didn't have to do it."

"Yes, well it changed him. He got his ribs wrapped and went out to work without speaking with me. The rest of the drive, he acted as an employee. He has rarely voluntarily discussed anything with me since except business. He became very independent. Going away to school reinforced that."

Both Hoss and Joe were shocked that he could have done that. They had never known of this. Adam was a pretty forgiving person though once he got over his anger, so both wondered what else had happened.

"That wasn't the end of it though was it?"

"No, Hoss, you know us very well I think. Once we were home, I told Marie about what had happened. She tried to talk with Adam about it and he refused. I was still upset with him from his behavior on the trail drive. I disciplined him for refusing to talk with her. He told me when he stood that the bruises from the last beating had almost healed so he would be able to work the next day. Then he walked away again. Until that moment I had no idea that in my anger, I had hurt him that much. I tried to explain what I had done and why, but you know the look I got. He said I wanted him to work like a man and listen to him like a boy. I slapped his face. My relationship with Adam was forever changed. He won't lie to me, but he has had a lot of practice in evading my questions and hiding what he does from me. He doesn't expect my trust and acts accordingly. What has happened over the last several years probably reinforced that."

"So when ya questioned him about Bill Enders back then, he wasn't about to listen to ya. Just like whenever he had a new idea and you opposed him, he would lose his temper."

"Oh yeah, I remember that argument about the windmills. That was a doozy. And he was right too. Nothing else would have gotten water to those pastures. We were able to increase the herd by quite a bit because of those windmills when we finally got them."

"Yes, he was usually right. I have said and done things because of my anger that I regret."

"Pa, have ya ever apologized to him?"

"Pa, what have you always told us about pride? You need to do this."

"I can't take it back and Adam can't forget."

"Then ya need to move forward. Trust him now. Build trust with him. And he is a pretty darn forgiving man for most things. I think even for things from that long ago, you could still apologize. Like you said. He don't forget, so you apologizing would go a long way to healing the hurt between ya."

"I can try, but I think it will take more than that."

"Maybe it will, but it seems like you got the responsibility on this one."

 

Chapter 3

In town, there were developments that would add support to that argument. The Enders Mining Company was setting up a public office. There was a bustle of activity as desks, chairs, cabinets, and such were unloaded from freight wagons and carried inside. There was a man painting the company logo on the window of the office: Enders Mining Company, Enders, Crane, Davis, and Cartwright. Inside there were name plates placed on four desks: Mary Enders, Sebastian Crane, Wendell Davis, and Adam Cartwright. The second part of the plan was launched.

There were many questioning looks exchanged as people saw the new window decal. They wondered how Adam Cartwright could be a partner is such an enterprise and go around trying to arrange deals supposedly in opposition to this company. It just didn't make sense unless Adam was deceiving all these mine owners in order to get a better deal for his new venture. By the time many of the people had gotten the messages to meet Adam, they had already seen or been informed of this new development. Many were so angry they refused to consider going to meet with him. Others who knew him better decided to head out to meet with him to try to find out what was going on.

Roy Coffee headed to the telegraph office to see if his inquiries had yielded any information yet. With this development, he had to send more telegrams too. He wanted to find out from the State of California who had organized this partnership and who had put Adam's name on those documents. Roy had no doubt that Adam was being set up again, but he needed to know more about who was doing it. He had seen some of the men who left town that morning and they would no doubt tell Adam about this new development. Roy just hoped that Adam could keep a lid on his temper. This kind of move was intended to damage his reputation but it was also like charging a grizzly. Whoever did it knew how hard it was for Adam to remain cool when his integrity was challenged and this was one of the biggest gauntlets he had ever faced.

At Adam's home, his temper was on full display. With a roar, he threw his coffee cup into the fireplace. That upset Cici and his son who started to cry. More than anything else, it was the sad and frightened sound of Davy that got him to settle himself down. Well that and the daggers Cici was shooting at him with her eyes. Adam apologized to her and to his guests. Then he talked soothingly to his son who calmed. Turning to the men who had come to talk with him, he apologized again.

"Well, I didn't see this coming either. I will check into how they got my name on the company but there is little doubt that they did it legally or legally enough that I won't be able to prove I had nothing to do with it. This is a well-orchestrated move. They will get all the claims they want now because I won't be trusted. I can back you men if you will try to do something, but at the moment, I can't see a way out of this quandary.

The men stayed to talk for a time. Barney Fuller was the last to leave.

"I know you and me and your pa ain't never seen eye to eye on a lot of things. But this hydraulic mining will ruin my businesses like it will ruin yours and that of a lot of the other men who were here. I'll stand with ya. If you'll back me, I'll start buying claims right now. I don't have much cash on hand but I can get some loans if I have to. You know I ain't never cheated nobody even if I drive a hard bargain on everything I do. I'll do anything I can do legally. I ain't so soft-hearted as you and your pa. But this time, I'm willing to work with ya. Let me know as soon as you can. Not much I can do all by myself."

"Thank you, Barney. I'll work with you even if my father won't so how about meeting here again tomorrow morning? I don't think I want to show my face in town right now."

Barney stuck out his meaty hand and Adam shook it. They nodded in agreement. The two would never be friends but had a grudging respect for each other in business matters. Adam had his first ally. Now if he could convince his father to acquiesce to working with Barney, they would be able to start working against the Enders Company plan. Once others knew that Barney was working with him despite their competition for business over previous decades, they would likely lean toward doing the same. He didn't look forward to the confrontation with his father, but he knew it had to happen soon, so he headed over to see him and brothers.

As Adam rode up to the Ponderosa ranch house he had helped build, he was actually a little disappointed to see Buck, Chubb, and Cochise tied to the rail near the front door. They were all home. He would have to face them immediately without first relaxing with a lunch Hop Sing would have been happy to serve to him. He took a deep breath and walked in to find all three at the dining room table enjoying coffee after lunch.

"The spring roundup must be going very well if you can take the time to ride back here for lunch."

The looks on their faces at that statement let Adam know that was not at all the case.

"Older brother, someone is out ta make a mess of our roundup. The cows we herded yesterday was scattered all over the range today. Fences was cut so it wasn't no accident. Looks like at least some were run off. I found a trail but lost it in some loose shale. They planned their escape well. This was no taking advantage of an opportunity."

"This was a deliberate act of sabotaging our roundup. Pa and Hoss got most of the cattle back where they belong, but we lost a full day of work, and now we have to assign men to stay in all the pastures at night, so by day, we'll be very shorthanded."

Pulling out a chair to sit, Adam nodded. "Looks like an all-out barrage then. With all of you tied up here, you can't do anything about the mess with the Enders company. Enders Company put up a logo at their new office today, and I'm listed as an owner."

From the shocked expressions on their faces, he knew they were as upset by that as he was. He then told them of the men he met with at his house, and the agreement he had made with Barney Fuller.

"Son, if that's what it takes, we'll back you all we can."

Adam stared at his father. This reaction was so far from anything he expected that he had nothing to say. Joe poked Hoss in the ribs. Hoss smiled at Joe. They were both proud of their father at that action. He couldn't have done it better.

"Hey, Pa, ole Adam there has nothing to say. I think we need ta mark this day on the calendar and celebrate it every year. The day Adam had no smart comeback."

"Boys, it appears that there will be more trouble coming. This is not the end of it. I think we need to call on some of our friends and neighbors for help. Anyone have any ideas?"

"I'm calling on Reg. He's a lawyer and still has a lot of connections in California where this company was organized. I need legal help to get my name off that partnership, and I think he's the one who could best help me do it."

"Adam, how about if I head over to Carson City and try to line up some help over there? You're not in a good position to do that now. Hoss or Pa could head into Virginia City to hire more men."

"Joe, thank you. I was worried about doing that and leaving Cici at home. I put some money into the Ponderosa accounts to cover the first purchase I made. There should be enough to cover more men. I need the rest to back Barney as he buys some properties. Do we have any other funds we can pull up? And not loans; they'll be ready for that and probably have a plan all ready to sabotage us with that."

"I have some bonds to cash in if we need them. I don't think cash flow is the problem. I am worried that you or your brothers may be bushwhacked. Each of us needs to have someone with us when we travel. Candy can go with Hoss to town to hire some men. Joe, pick one of your horse wranglers to go with you. Adam do you think Matt can work with you?"

"I'd like to leave Matt to protect Cici. He's a better shot than Jed and cool under pressure. Jed can ride with me wherever I have to go."

"All right. Warn the men that they should watch for anyone or anything unusual. We can't trust any stranger right now. I'll let Hop Sing know, that is what he doesn't already know by eavesdropping."

There was a clatter of pans and some muttering in Chinese from the kitchen. All four men got to release a little tension with laughter. Adam grabbed some bread and ham from the table to make a sandwich. As the four men walked outside to proceed with their tasks, Adam stopped his father with a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you. You don't know how much it means to me that you accepted my decision."

"You're welcome. And Adam? I do know. I shouldn't question you like I usually do. It's an old habit and one I should try to eliminate. I know why I do it and I should stop. Please accept my apology for when I do it and know that I know better, but habits are hard to break even when you want to do so very much."

"Thank you, Pa. Knowing you're trying is good enough."

With Jed at his side, Adam made one short trip to town to send some telegrams and do a few quick tasks. Only three days after receiving Adam's telegram, Reg Castle arrived in Virginia City. He did some checking before he left and had enough information to know that he wanted to be part of this fight. Adam met him at the stage station outside of Virginia City and they rode in the carriage to his home. There was no point in letting the opposition know he was bringing in reinforcements. Cici and Adam had lunch with Reg, and of course, he had to see Davy. After lunch, they started to talk business.

"Adam, the Enders Mining Company is a corporation. The three who are in town formed a management partnership and are hired to run the corporation. It is an unusual set-up. From what I have learned so far, you own one share of stock in the corporation and you are listed as a partner in the management company. For now, let's leave those alone. I want to get your power of attorney to use your share to get a copy of the company prospectus."

"Reg, as soon as possible, I want my name off those companies. Do you have a way of doing that for me?"

"Yes, I think so. My former partners are the lawyers representing the Anti-Debris Association in California. I want you to go with me to meet with them and the head of the Association too. There are a few tricks we can use too."

Cici was very concerned about what could happen based on Adam's history with Enders.

"Cici, I have checked and had friends check. We can find no connection between Bill Enders and this operation. Mary Enders may be a pawn in the hands of rich investors. It puts a smokescreen in front of what they are trying to do. It looks like a revenge scenario, but what they are doing is trying to eliminate the opposition to hydraulic mining. In this region, it would be the Cartwrights especially Adam. These men are skilled. I don't think they will resort to physical violence at least not at this stage when they think they are winning."

"How long will you be gone?"

"We will meet in Sacramento with lawyers and James Keyes. He used to be a miner here but now farms. His land has been flooded and damaged by tailings being washed downstream from hydraulic mining. He and other farmers have formed the Anti-Debris Association and are trying to stop hydraulic mining on the other side of the Sierras. Then we need to try to set up a meeting with the governor. Adam, can you father do that?"

"I'll go talk to him before we leave."

Cici held Adam in a ferocious hug before he left. She reached up to touch and caress his face as if she would never see him again. Adam realized how scared she was and held her for a long time. He walked with his arm tightly around her to tell Matt what was going on. Once that was done, they went inside to pack his saddlebags and Adam kissed and hugged Davy. As he kissed Cici goodbye, he could see tears welling up in her eyes and that did it for him. He held her and they both shed tears for the turmoil that seemed to dog them.

"Sweetheart, it will be okay. I will be careful, and Matt will watch over you here. Jed will stay too as I will be far away from here and these thugs won't know where I am."

Cici nodded but couldn't talk. She hugged Adam one more time, and he mounted up and rode away. She hoped that he was right. She hoped that his brothers got it correct when they said Adam always did the right thing and was always right. More than ever, she needed that to be true. Matt walked over to her and asked if she thought he should stay in a guest bedroom so he would be close if needed. Cici agreed. It would be another piece of ammunition the other side would try to use against them though but neither of them saw it at the time. Of course the opposition didn't know that Matt was a gay man and that Adam would have enthusiastically agreed to him staying in the house to protect Cici.

Ben agreed to see the governor and try to set up a meeting. Adam and Reg went overland to California. It was faster and prying eyes would not know they were gone. They met with James Keyes, and Reg got a copy of the Enders Company prospectus. The information in it was seemingly very legitimate, but he saw Adam raise his eyebrows at the little he was able to read before they left Sacramento. Adam assured Reg that he thought he had a lot of information that he could use to sway the governor to agree to their plan. Before they left Sacramento, they gifted the one share of stock Adam held in the Enders Company to James Keyes. Now he was an owner and had the right to attend meetings and see company documents. The company would oppose him on that but his lawyers had grounds to get access for him. They had fired their first salvo. It was a warning shot over the bow, but it was a start.

Ben had telegraphed them that the governor would meet with them in Reno. Again Adam and Reg traveled overland to avoid anyone who could tell the opposition where they were going. Once in Reno, they checked into a hotel using other names: Adam Stoddard and Reg Thayer. Ben was under an alias too but they had neglected to find out what it was before they left so they waited in the dining room for him to appear. Ben walked in near dinnertime and joined them when he saw them.

"I was waiting in my room, and finally got hungry. Why didn't you let me know you were here?"

"Ah, Pa, we may not be very good at this skullduggery. We forgot to ask you what name you would be using so we had no way of knowing who to ask for."

They all had a good laugh. It was good to relieve some of the tension. Then Reg and Adam filled Ben in on what they had accomplished in California. Ben enjoyed the method that Reg had used to rid Adam of his tie to the Enders Corporation.

"How will you get his name off the partnership?"

"Once, we can get some information from the company, he will sell or gift his share of the partnership to one of James Keyes' associates. Then they will have access to what the partners are doing too. This company is funded by William Ralston and Lester Robinson as well as by some wealthy British investors who are represented by Sebastian Crane. He manages a blind trust of their shares."

"What else have you two planned? I can see from your looks, that there is more going on."

"Adam and I are going to file injunctions for every stream, river, and lake that could be affected in Virginia City or Carson City. We will ask the courts to enjoin that the company not deposit tailings nor gravel in any of these waterways. They will have to fight each injunction separately because we will file them one at a time."

"Pa, I have a few things I would like the governor to do as well that will slow the company down. They will undoubtedly start using pressure, probably bribes and threats, but if we get some organizations in their way, it will strain their resources to fight all of them."

"The governor and some of his staff will meet with us at his home tomorrow morning at ten. Bring everything you've got because he said the company has already contacted him about the jobs they can create, and the money they are willing to use to support him in the next election if he supports them in hydraulic mining."

The three men enjoyed their dinner. Adam had sent a telegram earlier to Hoss. He couldn't be direct and send one to Cici because the telegraph office in Virginia City could never keep a secret. He sent a carefully worded telegram to Hoss that informed him that he had arrived safely to meet with Reg. Anyone reading that would assume he would be in Wyoming. Hoss would know better though and would tell Cici as soon as he could so she could worry just a little less. The next morning, Ben, Reg, and Adam were admitted to the governor's home by a butler. He led them to a door and slid it aside. They entered a spacious and well-appointed library/study. The walls were covered in bookshelves. Moreover, it was on the second floor so no one could eavesdrop at the windows. The governor welcomed Ben enthusiastically. It had been many years since he had seen Adam, but only a few years earlier that he had set aside his conviction and expunged his record after Adam had been railroaded by men closely related to the ones he was fighting now.

"Adam, you don't seem to be able to avoid trouble. You are looking well though, and I heard that you have a beautiful wife and baby boy."

"Trouble does seem to dog me, sir. And yes, I am very blessed with my wife and my son."

"I'm sure your father had informed you of our previous conversation. What evidence do you have that would indicate I ought to avoid entangling myself with this company?"

"I have the company prospectus. Your staff can look through it later and draw their own conclusions, but two things stand out. They have projected that with purchases of mines in the Nevada Sierras, they can make a profit of four and one half million dollars on silver and gold that is only accessible by hydraulic mining. They project costs of two million dollars. Therefore they are selling stock with the promise of two and one half million in profits to be shared with investors."

"Mr. Cartwright, you disagree with those figures?" The attorney general seemed skeptical.

Ben was going to answer, but Reg put a hand on his arm. The Mr. Cartwright the attorney general wanted to answer was Adam. Ben was not used to being in this position.

"All of the mines they have listed as potential purchases had veins of gold and or silver that became smaller and smaller as they were mined. There are likely flakes of gold and silver and perhaps even nuggets in some of the gravel, but mining of this type gets an extremely low yield. What is more likely is a return of less than one half million dollars and that may be optimistic if they have accurately assessed their potential costs of doing business. I have included on this sheet some of the costs and profits of companies that have already done hydraulic mining. You can see that the profit margin on each one is very small and in two cases, they lost money."

"I would assume that these gentlemen would be familiar with that information as well?"

"They should be. The company that lost the most money had Ralston, Robinson, and the same British investment consortium as owners."

"Why would they want to do more of the same if they lose money?"

"Well perhaps it is the mining that is losing money, and they are not losing money. The most profitable part could be skimming money out of the company from stock sales by grossly inflating the costs. If you look at the other companies, the ratio of costs to profits is much closer. And every company except this one has lower costs."

The governor looked directly at the attorney general. They knew the men they were with this morning were honest, and they had already heard enough to determine that they should help them.

"Adam, I would like my legal staff to look over that prospectus if you don't mind. And I have three agents I would like to send in undercover to work this case. I'm sure you know them."

Adam smiled at that. He did have fond memories of the three young men who had helped save him. The governor wanted to know what else he could do, and Reg and Adam had two suggestions.

"Sir, we would like you to sponsor two pieces of legislation. One would be to create a licensing board for all hydraulic mining operations in which they would have to show a plan of how they would avoid depositing tailings and or gravel in waterways. They will fight this with everything they have, but it is the direction that a number of states are headed so it would not seem unusual for that to happen here. Secondly, we would like you to set up an Anti-Debris Mining Commission to study all tailings and effluent released by mining and how it could be prevented. This would give your staff access to company records and excuses to visit any sites where they may begin operations."

"Ben, I thought you said your son was trained as an engineer and an architect. Seems to me that he must have spent some time studying business and law too. This is a well thought out and comprehensive plan."

"He knows how to gather what he needs too." Ben looked at Reg when he said that.

"I want to discuss it with my staff, but at this point, I will give preliminary approval. If you stay in town, we will let you know by tomorrow morning what our exact plans are."

By the next morning, the governor's office sent a simple message. "Yes. To everything." Ben, Reg, and Adam packed to go home. They planned to travel together until they neared home. Reg and Ben would go to Carson City where Reg would file the first injunction, and Ben would meet with ranchers and miners he knew to try to enlist their aid. Adam was headed directly to his home. He had been gone for ten days, and by now, he expected Cici to be sick with worry. He was right again, but it wasn't the only reason she was sick. As Adam rode into his yard, twilight was falling. He put his weary horse in the stable and walked to the house. Matt greeted him on the veranda.

"Hey boss, heard you come in. Just checking to make sure it was you. Your wife is upstairs with your son. Cook is in the kitchen and Mrs. Bayer is in the great room knitting. I'm heading down to my own bed. Jed will be keeping first watch tonight. I'll spell him later. Welcome back, and good night."

"Matt, thank you!"

Adam walked inside and Mrs. Bayer nodded at him. He was covered in trail dust and hadn't shaved yet that day so he had a fairly good stubble. As he walked up the stairs, Mrs. Bayer smiled: she remembered when her husband would get home after a trip, and it didn't matter to her what smells were in his clothes or how dirty or dusty he was because she was always just so glad to see him and hold him again. She expected that Adam and Cici felt the same way. She thought she would stay downstairs and out of the way for the next hour or so.

As Adam reached the door of the nursery, he paused to watch the glorious sight of his wife nursing his son. He had such a strong emotional reaction every time he saw this that he couldn't bear to interrupt them for a moment. Finally he had to go in. He kissed Cici as she looked up at him and her mouth formed a perfect O. It made a passionate kiss all that much easier. Davy was nursing, but he was also falling asleep. Adam took him and held him tenderly and carefully so he would not transfer a bunch of trail dust to him. After Cici closed her dress, she took Davy and settled him in his crib. She and Adam walked quietly out of the nursery and into their bedroom. Once there, there were no longer quiet nor passive.

"You need a bath and a shave."

"That's not all I need. Join me in the bath. I'll shave first."

Cici shook her head.

"You have to be exhausted, but you are still insatiable."

"Sweetheart, it's been ten days. I missed you. You are even more beautiful than when I left. You have a glow about you."

Cici smiled a little smile and went downstairs to get the bath started as Adam stripped off his dirty clothes and prepared to shave. They were still awake four hours later when Davy awoke wet and hungry.

 

Chapter 4

In less than a week, it was clear that the Enders Mining Company was going to retaliate against Adam and Reg for the injunctions and for the gift of stock to James Keyes. Sebastian Crane and Wendell Davis rode out to Adam's home to confront them. Candy had been sent over to help out because such a move was anticipated and he, Matt, and Jed got their firearms and stood by as the two men headed to the house on the hill. Adam answered the door when the men knocked but did not invite them in. He stepped outside to the veranda and Reg joined him there soon after.

"You don't know who you're up against, Cartwright! We won't be held responsible for anything happening to you."

"If that's a threat, you need to look around. You aren't exactly in a position to make any threats here."

Davis was doing the talking while Crane stood by with a supercilious look. Adam was armed and definitely more dangerous than either man confronting him. In addition, Matt was a crack shot and Jed and Candy would back him up.

"You've made a mistake here. The men we represent have a lot of resources. I would think that you would know that after the two year vacation they got for you last time you stuck your nose into other people's business."

This was the first time the complicity of these same investors in his incarceration was alluded to although both Adam and Reg had suspected as much. Adam remained calm outwardly but inside his temper was roiling.

"And now you got a lot more to worry about."

Adam grabbed Davis by his jacket lapels and threw him off the veranda.

"You are the one who is mistaken. Your life isn't worth a mouthful of dust if you go anywhere near any member of my family. Now get out of here. The stench of you is fouling my property."

"We'll be back and with the sheriff. You committed an assault on my person. You will not get away with it."

"I'm afraid, 'gentlemen', that Mister Cartwright was defending his property against two armed trespassers who in front of witnesses threatened his family. Do you think any jury would convict him of anything? In fact, they might be inclined to support a countercharge considering the circumstances. I suggest you leave and never come back. Any future trespassing on the Ponderosa will be met with deadly force. The gentlemen standing behind you now will escort you off the property." Reg did the talking, but the other men were ready to do what he had said.

Davis and Crane mounted up and left with Jed and Matt riding behind them with their rifles held at the ready. Reg and Adam returned to the house where they had been discussing their strategy with Cici and Ben. Candy remained on guard outside.

"Well, they figured it out. They know where I am most vulnerable. Now what do we do to keep Cici and Davy safe?"

"Son, I think they should come to the house with me. There are a lot more men there who can protect them."

"Do I get any say in this? I think we can stay here. I won't go to see any patients unless I am escorted, but I want my patients to be able to come here. The tack room can house two men so you could send two more men here to help guard the place."

Adam wanted to accommodate his wife but also understood that his father's argument had merit. He looked to Reg.

"For now, most of what they will do will be in court. For a time until that strategy fails, I think Cici and Davy are safe here as long as we add more security. Once they fail in court though, all bets are off as to what they might do next. Then we will have to have a siege mentality and build up our defensive forces."

They all agreed that for now, they would follow what Reg and Cici wanted. Adam wasn't comfortable with it but at this point probably wouldn't be comfortable with anything. Reg and Ben talked as Ben walked to the stable to get his horse. They planned to ask Joe if he wanted more security or if he wanted his family at the main house.

"Candy, nothing can happen to Cici and Davy. I love that lady like a daughter and Davy is my precious grandson. I know it would destroy Adam if anything happened to them. He has lost too much in his life. He cannot lose more without losing himself."

"We'll get some of the men to stay near here at all times. No one gets anywhere near here without us knowing. We should work out a schedule after we talk to Joe. It would be easier if he has his family at the main house. That would mean we wouldn't have to spread our men out so far. We have three shifts guarding the herds and now with protecting the family, we will be spread out even more."

Joe and Rachel did think that going to the main house was a good idea. Joe suggested that they suggest that Adam and his family come to the main house each night even if Cici wanted to be home during the daytime. Ben planned to ride there the next day with that suggestion. It was too late. A group of armed men had bushwhacked Matt and Jed near the boundary of the Ponderosa. Once Crane and Davis described the layout of the property and the few people there, they rode and forced their entry into the house firing as they went. Adam was able to shoot two of the intruders before being subdued. Reg was badly wounded. Mrs. Bayer and Kim were forced into the kitchen and tied to chairs there. Cici and Davy were grabbed and taken outside and loaded into the back of a buckboard wagon. Adam was trussed like a calf for branding and left lying on the floor next to Reg who was bleeding profusely.

"Adam, I'm sorry. I seem to have miscalculated."

"Don't talk. Try to keep your strength."

"I know it's over my friend. I need a lot of help and no one can help me now. Take care of Robert."

Although Adam worried for his wife and son but thought it was likely they were going to be held to control him so their lives were not in immediate danger. He feared most for Matt and Jed as well as for Reg who needed attention fast. The only thought he could have was that Matt and Jed were dead or dying too.

Easing himself across the floor toward the gun cabinet, Adam was careful not to pull the rope on his neck any tighter. He had one chance and that was the throwing knives he had in a lower drawer of the gun cabinet. He had been planning to move them because it wouldn't be safe to have them there when his son started crawling. Now he was glad he had not moved them yet. As he reached the cabinet, he used his mouth on the brass pulls to pull the drawer open. Then he had to carefully maneuver himself on to his knees so that he could reach the knives with his mouth. He pulled one from the drawer and wedged it against the cabinet. The he turned around and pressed the knife against the ropes on his wrists. Sawing back and forth, he cut himself as well as the rope. Within minutes he was free but his hands were slicked with his own blood.

Adam checked Reg for the pulse and found it extremely weak. He headed to the kitchen to free Mrs. Bayer and Kim. Kim grabbed his hands and wrists before he could get away and wrapped cloth around the shallow cuts. It was all that Adam would allow before he insisted they help Reg. As soon as they were busy with him, he ran out to the stable to saddle his horse. He needed help and a lot of it fast. Firing three shots in the air, he rode as hard as he could in the direction that Matt and Jed had gone. He found both of them badly wounded but Ponderosa hands arrived in response to his shots. He told them to get the two men to town as fast as they could and then he rode to the main house.

Ben heard a horse thunder in to the yard outside the house and he grabbed a gun as did his sons and Candy. Hoss looked out the window in Ben's study.

"It's Adam and he's hurt."

Ben was the first outside. Adam had bruises emerging on his face and both hands and wrists were wrapped in bloody bandages. Adam did not dismount but emotionally distraught, he started yelling about what had happened.

"They got Cici and Davy. We need to hurry. They went in a buckboard wagon from what I could tell. Reg is so badly wounded he might be dead by now. Matt and Jed are both shot and being taken to town. I don't know if they'll live either."

Joe and Candy hurried to the stable to saddle up fresh horses and Hoss went in to the bunkhouse to get some of the men to help. Ben could see that Adam was in shock. His wife and child were kidnapped. His best friend might be dead because he had helped Adam. Adam could not see that he needed to care for himself. Ben needed to get him down from his horse so they could help him.

"Adam, you need to get down for a few minutes. Hop Sing will bandage your hands. You aren't going to be able to help us if you pass out from blood loss. Now get down, please."

"We have to hurry."

"Yes, son, I know. But it will take a few minutes to saddle the horses. We will go as soon as we can."

Adam dismounted and staggered and grabbed the saddle to keep from falling. Ben stepped to his side and guided him to a bench. Barbara had come outside with Hop Sing by this time with bandages, a basin of water, and other things they needed. Working as quickly as possible, they took the bloody cloths from Adam's hands, quickly cleaned the areas that were bleeding, applied ointment, and then bandaged both. Barbara unobtrusively handed a small jar of ointment, a roll of bandages, and a vial of laudanum to Ben who surreptitiously slipped those things into his pockets. Hop Sing went into the kitchen and emerged with a several small food sacks containing bread, ham slices, and apples. He would have liked to send more but there was no time.

"How did your hands get cut?"

"I did it. I had to cut the ropes, and I was in a hurry. Those throwing knives are very sharp."

Joe, Candy, Hoss, and another six men were ready to ride. Four more would go to Adam's house to help and to notify Sheriff Coffee of what had happened and what they were doing. Joe led out Buck and a different horse for Adam. Sport had been ridden hard and was in no shape to continue what might be a long pursuit. The men rode all hard to Adam's home and then those continued on following Hoss who was in the lead and tracking the kidnappers. It didn't take long to find the tracks of a wagon and a number of horses. They were headed east. The men grimly began to track them.

Miles ahead of them, the wagon had broken down. The men hired from Sacramento, California for this task were unfamiliar with the territory and had no idea how rough the terrain was that they were traveling through. They had intended to get to one of the mines purchased by the Enders Company, but now it would be difficult. As they worked to try to repair the wagon, one of the men scouted back and saw a large force of men pursuing them. The time they had gained by Adam having to go to the Ponderosa main house for help had been lost as they struggled to repair the wagon. Finally, their leader Davis ordered two of the men to stay behind to slow the pursuit. He ordered Cici to get on a horse. When she refused, he grabbed Davy from her arms and handed him up to one of his men already mounted. She quickly mounted up on the horse assigned for her, and the group rode out.

Within a short time, the Cartwrights and their friends arrived at the site and gunfire erupted from the tree line. One of their men was wounded and Adam charged the two riding with his head low behind his horses neck. Hoss, Joe, and Candy rode with him when they realized he would not stop and the others laid down covering fire. The men in the trees did not surrender and paid the ultimate price for that miscalculation. Adam shot one in the head and Joe hit the other in the chest. Without pausing, the group headed out following the tracks of the horses ahead of them. Within fifteen minutes they had the group ahead of them in sight. They would not escape into the mine. The man carrying Davy dropped him and raced away. Cici stopped her horse and ran sobbing to her baby's side. Davis drew his pistol to shoot her and his head erupted in a red cloud. Hoss had stopped and had trained his Sharps rifle on the group. When he saw what Davis planned, he already had him in his sights. He had prayed a little and pulled the trigger.

Adam leaped from his horse to run to Cici's side. She was examining Davy and looked at Adam with her eyes full of tears and tears streaks through the dust on her face. Davy was crying so loudly it was almost screaming. Cici struggled to speak. She finally choked out the words.

"He's not hurt. He's not hurt. He has some bruises and a scrape but nothing is bad."

Adam sat on the ground with his wife and child, wrapped his arms around them, and sobbed. He had never felt such fear in all of his life when he saw them abducted and then later saw his son dropped from a horse. The men who had been with him rode with Hoss, Joe, and Candy to capture the rest of the marauders. They were all hoping that they would fight instead of surrendering. Most did but two did surrender and within an hour they were brought back to where Adam, Cici, Davy, and Ben were waiting. Davy had calmed and Cici had nursed him while Adam continued to hold her. The three were still huddled together when the men returned.

"Candy, have some of the men take these two into town to hand over to Roy. Someone needs to go to Adam's house to get a carriage or wagon. We can wait here with the rest of you for protection."

"Papa, I want to go home. Adam, please, take us home."

"Cici, I think we need to go home with Pa. We'll stay together."

Adam noticed blood on Cici's skirt.

"Cici, are you hurt? Where's this blood coming from?"

Cici had been feeling pains for over an hour. She knew without checking what had happened. She looked at Adam and tears flowed again.

"We were going to have a baby."

"Were?"

"I'm losing the baby. The ride and everything caused it."

Cici began crying again and Adam pulled her and his son into his chest one more time. Ben and Hoss who had been close enough to hear the whole exchange turned from them with tears welling in their eyes. Joe walked over when he saw them, and they told him that Cici needed the doctor because she had lost her baby due to the rough treatment. Joe misunderstood and was worried about Davy for a second until Hoss told him she had been with child. Joe mounted up and rode for town to get Doctor Martin. Soon a wagon arrived and Adam with Hoss' assistance got his wife and son into the back of the wagon. Hoss handed Adam a blanket and he wrapped it around his wife and then settled down next to her to hold her. Ben drove the wagon.

Hoss was heading to Adam's house to see how Reg was doing and to make sure that Mrs. Bayer and Kim were all right, and then collect some clothing and necessary items for Adam's family. When he got there he found Reg rolled in a blanket. Mrs. Bayer and Kim were by his side. They asked if they would be needed at the Ponderosa main house and Hoss invited both to come along with him to help care for Reg. He hitched a team to the buckboard and carried Reg there. Then next to him, the three loaded everything they thought would be needed as well as some foodstuffs that would spoil if not used. They closed up the house then and headed to the main house. With Kim sitting by Reg to care for him as they traveled, Hoss drove slowly and carefully to the main house.

Wendell Davis was dead but Sebastian Crane was still out there and no one knew if there were more hirelings they needed to watch for. The men sent to take Matt and Jed returned with the news that they were still alive but in dire straits. Adam wanted to go see them, but he was told that both were unconscious. Roy rode in shortly thereafter to question them to get the whole story of what had happened. It took hours for the telling of everything from all the people involved.

 

Chapter 5

There was a question for Roy too when everyone had a chance to think about what had happened. "How did you get here so soon, Roy?"

"Well that Sebastian Crane feller come riding into town sayings as how there was an attack by some armed men, and he lit out of there for town and didn't know what had happened to his partner."

It was a very good thing that Adam was not listening to this conversation. He was in the downstairs bedroom with his wife and son trying to soothe them. Hop Sing had done all he could, and now they were waiting for Doctor Martin to examine Davy and to make sure that there were no complications from the miscarriage that Cici had suffered. Doctor Martin was busy with Reg though following up on what Mrs. Bayer and Kim had done to care for him. With Candy's help, Hoss was outside cleaning up the wagon. Ben and Joe couldn't believe what they were hearing though. They explained what Adam had been able to tell them.

"Well, then, my guess is that Crane raced to town to establish an alibi for himself or he didn't know what Davis was up to and he rode fast cause he was scared. Until I get some evidence to the contrary, I'm going to have to accept Crane at his word. I'm sorry Ben, I know what you're thinking, but we gotta go by the law here. I'll keep my eye on him and do whatever I can to watch him ifn he tries to leave town again."

Ben wanted to say something more, but he knew that Roy had just undermined any argument he had. Joe stormed out of the house to talk with Hoss. Finally Ben asked some questions.

"We sent some men into town with the two jackals who surrendered. Have you questioned them yet?"

"No, I came out here to get the full story as soon as Crane came riding in. I met your men on the way here and told them to hand those two scoundrels over to Clem. He'll keep them separated and quiet until I can talk to them."

"Have you gotten any information as to who is behind this whole scheme?"

"That I know. It's a pair of scoundrels by the names of Ralston and Robinson but it's unlikely they've got anything to do with breaking the law like this. They have been creating a lot of trouble in California with hydraulic mining and railroad building. The two of them never break the law as far as anyone can prove but the dealings are shady enough to suspect they wouldn't worry much about the law if they thought they could get away with it, and it ain't likely they worry overmuch about what friends of theirs do. When that Truckee Railroad mess got taken care of, and Adam got cleared of any wrong, they were friends with a lot of the men who went to prison and maybe they were silent unseen partners, but there's no proof."

"So they could be bent on revenge against Adam?"

"Could be, but from what I've learned, they'd only do it if there was profit in it for them. Now I had a talk with Mary Enders, and I got to tell ya, Ben, that is a very bitter woman. She ain't rightly got all her eggs in the basket either if ya know what I mean. She talked about how Adam had harmed her and the law wouldn't do anything. So I says that he didn't harm her, her husband did, and Bill was the one done broke the law, and she went on and on about how Adam set him up and how nothing bad woulda happened except for his interfering in things. Ben, she could be dangerous in her state of mind. I don't rightly know what she's gonna do next."

The sound of a carriage could be heard and Ben and Roy went to the door assuming that Doctor Martin was there. Instead, it was Mary Enders.

"Sheriff, I want you to arrest these men for the murder of Wendell Davis and the men working for us. They chased them down like dogs and killed them."

"Now Mary, that ain't the way it was. Mr. Davis and those men kidnapped Mrs. Cartwright and her baby and attempted to kill an unarmed man while doing it."

"It's lies, all lies. They are doing what they always do. Making up stories to get people to think they do no wrong. But they do. I should have known that you would just back them in their murderous ways just like you always have. I had hoped our conversation might have enlightened you but I can see that it did not. I will be contacting the governor's office. We need some intervention here by state authorities to uphold the laws you swore to protect but so willingly ignore."

As she was turning her carriage to leave, Mrs. Bayer drove in. Ben and Roy greeted her and then escorted her into the house to see Cici and Davy. By then, Paul was examining Davy and agreed with Cici's assessment that he had no serious injuries. He told them to keep the abrasions clean and wrapped to avoid infection and to watch him carefully for any changes, but he did not expect any. Other than clinging to one parent or the other, Davy seemed to be acting normally. Davy cried as Adam took him from Cici's arms but settled once he realized it was his father's chest that he was being held to. Paul asked Mrs. Bayer if she could go sit with Reg so that he could examine Cici and told Adam to take Davy out of the bedroom in case she would make any sounds because at this point anything would frighten the boy. Adam walked into the great room and sat in the red leather chair with his hands and arms almost covering his son. Davy quieted and soon fell asleep. Roy asked Adam if he could quietly recount what had happened. Adam told him everything he knew and with his son in his arms and needing him to remain calm, he was able to do so without raising his voice that was a Herculean effort on his part.

Outside, Joe was filling Hoss and Candy in on what Roy had said. They all found it hard to accept that Crane might get away with this. All they could hope was that the two men in jail would talk to avoid hanging. It was a slim hope.

"Hoss, I never saw Adam like that before. I've seen him angry before, and I guess that's what I expected, but he was just crying so hard when we found Cici and Davy. The only other time I saw him lose control like that is when we found him in the desert after that Kane tortured him. Do you think he's going to be all right? After that Kane episode, he wasn't all right for a long time."

"Joe, it's two different things. Kane did that stuff to him on purpose. Ain't nobody going to be all right if they get worked like a pack animal and then denied food, water, and rest. This here was just too much for Adam to hold in his feelings. Anybody woulda had to let it out. Even our older brother ain't strong enough to hold that much in."

Joe looked at Hoss with skepticism all too evident in his expression. Candy was finding the conversation enlightening. He liked Adam and admired the way he could work, but he was a difficult man to get to know.

"Joe, you often have said that Adam was cold and had no feelings. That jest ain't so and I have tried to tell you that every time you say it. Adam feels everything just as much as you and maybe even more. He jest don't let it out most of the time. Well unless he's mad of course. Then he let's all of that out. He ain't never learned to control that temper of his so good."

"Hoss, that's still just so hard for me to believe. That time that Pa was held as ransom so we wouldn't hang Farmer Perkins, well Adam was so cool under that pressure. He did what he thought was right and it didn't matter that Pa could have died."

"No, we were wrong then and you're wrong now. He felt everything we felt and we made it worse by what we said to him. He was hurting too and we made it worse by dumping our anger on him. He did what Pa would have wanted done. Pa told him that afterwards but it was real hard for him especially cause he knew we wouldn't a done it the same way. He held all the pain and everything else inside."

Hoss then filled a curious Candy in on what had happened with Farmer Perkins and the showdown in the street after he was hanged. Candy had a new appreciation of just how strong the bonds in this family were, but also was starting to understand some of the reasons why Adam might have felt it necessary to leave for those years. He had always wondered why anyone would leave the Ponderosa and the Cartwright family, but Adam must have been a bit on the outside of what the others shared. It was probably worse those many years ago too. Apparently then even Hoss had not been as strong in support of his brother as he was now. Candy could see that the bond between Hoss and Adam was strong. He wondered if Joe and Adam would ever have that type of bond. Maybe this was the thing that would draw them together.

Once the men finished cleaning up and putting gear away, they went to the house. Inside, Adam was finishing telling the story to Roy. As the three men entered, Roy greeted them and asked them to sit at the table where he asked them questions about what had happened. Their answers were consistent with what he had learned from Ben and Adam. Roy was satisfied he had enough to write a complete report. He told them that he would notify Reg's family. Adam asked Ben to write out some messages from him to Robert, to Reg's daughter, and to Bud and the men at the CR ranch. Roy agreed to take care of sending those too. Paul came out of the bedroom and told Adam that there were no complications, but that it would be best for Cici to remain mostly at rest for a few days before gradually resuming normal activities. Adam nodded and went to the bedroom with Davy.

Hop Sing came out to announce quietly that dinner was ready and there was enough for everyone. Barbara had been helping in the kitchen and the two of them started to bring food to the table. Roy couldn't stay but Hop Sing pressed him to take bread and beef to make a sandwich, and he had to smile broadly and accept that. Joe went upstairs to get Rachel and the children who had been staying upstairs to be out of the way and to shield the children from hearing too much about the more traumatic events of the day. Paul and Candy were invited to stay and both accepted.

Ben softly knocked on the downstairs bedroom door and opened it to see Adam sitting in bed leaning back into a stack of pillows with Cici resting on his chest and Davy cradled between them. Both Cici and Davy were sleeping. Ben pulled the door closed behind him and walked to the bed to tug Adam's boots off. Then he took the light blanket that was folded at the foot of the bed and laid it over all three. He knew it wouldn't be long before Davy awakened and then all three would be up. But for now, it was healing sleep. Ben walked softly out of the room and closed the door behind him very carefully. He asked those at dinner to speak softly so that Adam and his family could rest. Inside, Adam closed his eyes. He was home and his family was safe. It was all that he cared about at that moment.

Hop Sing prepared a tray of food and took it upstairs for Mrs. Bayer who was sitting with Reg. He was pale but his breathing had become more regular and Doctor Martin thought that he should recover. It was likely to be a long recovery though.

 

Chapter 6

"You need to go. We'll be fine here."

Adam had no response to Cici. He was feeling almost numb with the emotional drain of the last several days. With the kidnapping of his wife and son, the injuries of his friend Reg and to their men Matt and Jed who remained in town to recover, the shootout with the kidnappers, and the loss of the baby that Cici had been carrying, Adam wasn't sure he could make any rational decision right now. As he fell into a glum mood, Cici started to come out of her depression and was slowly returning to normal activities although they remained at the Ponderosa main house. Now Adam was debating whether he stay at the ranch or go meet Robert who was coming to see his uncle. Hoss and others had mentioned a time or two how Adam could get into a dark mood but Cici had never seen it until now. If the others were correct, he was blaming himself for all that had gone wrong.

"It's not your fault, you know."

"What's not my fault?"

"Any of it! These things were done by men and by women who lack moral convictions. You cannot control them, and you don't need to carry their guilt."

"I can't help it. I have seen it as my job for as long as I can remember to take care of my family, and I made a mess of it this time."

"I know that your mother was not able to care for you, but certainly as you were growing, your father cared for you."

"Pa was busy with moving west, and then with building the Ponderosa. Then there was Hoss to care for and then Joe."

"But who cared for you?"

Cici knew the answer just by looking at his face. Adam had taken care of himself as long as he could remember. Keeping quiet, holding in disappointments, tolerating deprivation, and not crying so as not to add more to his father's burden of responsibilities was his childhood. His pattern of holding it all in and trying to manage by himself continued in Nevada so that he and his father could care for Hoss and then for Joe. He was working a man's hours each day even as a boy and acting as a man even though he must have carried the insecurities and concerns of a boy. Now he often didn't know how to ask for help especially when his need was emotional.

Ben had been coming out of the kitchen with a fresh cup of coffee and heard the last part of the conversation. He knew that Adam was not sure he should leave now in the midst of all the turmoil and potential danger to his family. Ben had seldom fully considered how deeply all those experiences of Adam's early life had molded him but was beginning to realize it was far more than he had ever imagined. Well, it couldn't be changed but the future could be different starting now.

"Adam, I would like to travel with you when you go to meet Robert. We can travel with him back to Wyoming too. I want to be with you to pay my respects to his family and friends. When were you planning on leaving?"

The query was so unexpected that Adam was speechless. He had never considered that a member of his family would want to go with him. Cici stood and walked behind the chair in which he was sitting and began to massage his neck and shoulders. It would give him a moment to think and construct an answer. She was almost as surprised as Ben when he answered.

"I would like to leave today. Robert is already on his way and Reg's daughter may join him on the trip. Someone should be with them because neither of them is familiar with this area."

"I'll pack a saddlebag and go talk to Hop Sing and get some food sacks ready. Then I'll see if your brothers have time to saddle our horses. You take the time you need to say goodbye to your wife and son. I'll meet you outside whenever you are ready."

"Cici, I'll be careful but I would like to hold our son before I go. We'll be back after we meet them and make arrangements to transport Reg."

"He'll be cranky if he wakes because he just fell asleep, but if you lift him with his blanket, he will probably snuggle right into your chest."

Davy did just that. He squirmed a little but as soon as Adam held him to his chest, he snuggled in and continued to sleep.

The next day, Adam and Ben were back with Robert and a large carriage. They got Reg comfortably settled in the back, and then Adam went through the goodbyes again telling his wife once more to be very careful. She reminded him to be careful as well.

"I'll be careful. I doubt anyone expects me to travel to Wyoming. I would prefer if you did not leave the ranch here until I get back."

Worried about Adam and also about Davy, Cici nodded. After Adam laid his son back down and caressed his back until he fell asleep again, Cici wrapped her arms around her husband. She had tried not to cry but the tears flowed.

"Are you sure this is all right? I can stay here."

"No, you have to go. It's just that I will miss you so much and I will worry about you until I see you again."

Adam understood because he felt the same way. He pulled Cici into a strong embrace. Barbara, Rachel, and the children were going to come downstairs, but seeing the couple together, Barbara turned and shooed them all back. They could stay upstairs a few minutes longer. Adam released Cici, and after grabbing his saddlebag from the bedroom, he buckled on his gun belt, grabbed his hat, and walked outside. Cici didn't follow. It would just make it harder for both of them.

Ben and Adam were gone for ten days. The trip there and back was uneventful. The reunion was as highly charged as Adam expected it to be. They shared a lot of memories and news, but there was one problem. Robert felt that if Adam had not asked for his uncle's help, Reg would not have been hurt. Reg's daughter told him that Reg wanted to help, that he cared strongly about the cause, and that Robert should in no way blame Adam. That helped, but there was a reserve in Robert that wasn't there before. Apparently, Reg had been planning to ask Adam if he could buy his share of the ranch. Adam agreed with the proposal after speaking briefly with Reg who had not mentioned that to Adam when he had been in Virginia City because he told Adam that there were more important matters to discuss. The plan was that Robert would operate the ranch with Bud until Reg was fully recovered. The money was transferred to Adam's account and the paperwork was signed before they left.

"Adam, do you feel relieved that the CR ranch is no longer your responsibility or will you miss it?"

"Pa, I have to admit it is a relief. I'm glad that Bud will be taking care of Robert. I have taken too much on lately, and I wasn't sure how I could handle it all. I was relieved that Reg's daughter took my side with Robert. I hope that he understands someday and doesn't blame me for Reg being hurt."

"You could ask me for help whenever you need it. I can't read your mind. I don't think anyone can."

Adam laughed. It had been a long time since Ben had shared a laugh with his son. It felt rather good too. For the rest of the trip they discussed some of the ideas that Adam had about the future of the Ponderosa and how to protect it for the future generations. One idea was shocking to Ben, and he realized he needed to think about it before he responded so that he wouldn't be negative. He had never considered the possibility before. Adam had suggested that they start organizing the Ponderosa businesses into partnerships and corporations. He suggested that the mining be a privately held corporation. None of the mines were actually on the Ponderosa although a few were very close. The timber areas could be organized as a privately held corporation or partnership. Finally, the Ponderosa horse and cattle businesses would be organized the same way and then the land itself would be another entity. Therefore, when they were taking loans, they did not have to risk the entire operation. If any person had a claim against any member of the family, they could only threaten the amount actually held by that person. By including each son and grandchild as they were born, the wealth as well as the risk would be shared.

Adam had explained it to his father with examples. If someone came after him, they would only be able to threaten one eighth of the whole because Davy would also have one eighth. If he had another child or two, each would get a share in their name held in trust until such age as the family determined they could fully share in the responsibility of running the whole enterprise. The corporate entities could also start to purchase properties and businesses outside of the Ponderosa itself or they could create another one to do that. Each separate entity insulated the others from threats. Because all would be family owned, the family could transfer assets from one to another to help out as needed or to shield assets.

"Adam, to do this, it sounds like we need to hire some attorneys and probably someone to do the accounting, This will be too much for me, and you're already doing too much by your own admission."

"Probably, but remember, I'm suggesting this as a possible long term plan. We could try it with just the mines first if Joe and Hoss agree. We might separate the timber from the cattle next. That way we could see if it looks like it could work for us and proceed accordingly."

"This is what I mean by never knowing what you are thinking. Never would I have guessed that you were thinking of something like this. I would assume you have been thinking about this for some time?"

"Yes and no. I thought about it in general terms as I thought about how to be more efficient and organized. But lately I have been thinking about it as another way to defend the family. The more we can do this, the less danger to any individual in the family. With the responsibility and the assets shared by so many, the loss of one would not be as damaging. Therefore, there would be less to gain by targeting any one of us."

"You mentioned that you might have one or two more children. Have you and Cici discussed this lately?"

"Yes. It is a difficult topic. She wants to try as soon as Paul gives her the go ahead. I would like to wait a bit to be sure that the turmoil has diminished. With all that we do, there is always bound to be something disturbing our lives but hopefully not as serious as this current affair."

"She may need to try as soon as possible. That happened with Marie after she lost a baby she was carrying. She needed to try for a baby to ease the hurt of the one she lost."

Adam looked with interest at his father who had never talked this freely with him about his personal life. Maybe there really was a change in their relationship. He had been surprised and pleased that his father had made this trip with him and that he had not rejected his business ideas but was thinking about them. He smiled at his father then, and Ben looked back and smiled as well. At least this time, he felt he knew what his son was thinking and that was good. By then they were nearing the ranch and Ben could tell how anxious Adam was to get back. He encouraged Adam to ride ahead but he would not.

"Well then, son, got any race left in that old nag of yours?"

Ben kicked Buck into a gallop. Buck enjoyed this chance to run all out and soon was racing as fast as he could as his master gave him freedom to run. Ben knew that Adam on Sport would pass them easily, but couldn't resist the urge to holler while he was still in the lead. Adam did pass him and without going all out stayed comfortably in the lead. As they raced into the yard, a number of people came running out and were shocked to see the venerable head of the Cartwright clan and the responsible eldest son having a race to see who could get home first.

"Dadburnit, Adam, it's been peaceful around here until now. We been waiting for trouble and then you come running in here like you was being chased by the devil."

Adam grinned, but Cici was there by then and grabbed Adam in a fierce hug. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with passion as if no one else was there. Hoss hugged his father and then shepherded all of the rest into the house to give a little bit of privacy to his brother and his wife. Joe's two girls kept swiveling around trying to see what was going on. They weren't used to seeing their parents being quite so demonstrative in public and found this to be very interesting behavior. Joe caught Rachel's eye and the two of them shielded their daughters who were very disappointed but knew better than to defy either of their parents. Inside Barbara was holding Davy. Her pregnancy was seven months now and the need to nurture was growing. Hoss walked over to her and smiled to see the happy expression she had holding Davy who seemed to like her almost as much as he liked his parents. Hoss was looking forward to being a father and hoped all this trouble could be resolved before September when his child was due. Soon Adam walked in with Cici and headed directly for his son who threw out his arms and cooed with excitement as he recognized his father. Ben sat in his chair sipping a brandy and was more content than he had been in some time.

 

Chapter 7

That night, Cici finally got to relax fully again too. "You and your father seem to have been very relaxed when you got home."

Adam smiled at his wife as she rested her head on his shoulder and ran her hand through the hair on his chest. He knew that she was concerned about his relationship with his family and yearned for it to be closer and with less tension. With Hoss, every experience they had seemed to bind them closer together. His relationship with Joe would always probably be a bit prickly because of the nature of their personalities, but they had become closer since that last cattle drive and Joe's trip to Wyoming to try to bring him back home. But with his father, it was taking longer to develop the closeness he thought they once had. Adam knew that he had been most of the reason for it because he was not satisfied with the old relationship and wanted his father to treat him as a man in business and as a son in family matters. It had been tumultuous so far but this last trip had shown that their relationship was growing closer.

"Yes, we talked a lot on this trip. He even talked to me about Marie losing a baby she was carrying. It's hard for him even today to talk about the wives whom he lost especially the difficulties they had while they were married. It made me feel that he trusts me."

Adam could feel Cici tense as he talked about losing a baby and understood that she was still emotionally very vulnerable. He felt it too.

"Why didn't you tell me you were with child?"

"I wasn't feeling well. There was so much going on that I didn't want to add to your concerns. Now I realize the symptoms were probably because there was something wrong and that is why the rough treatment caused me to lose the baby."

"It was seeing violence in your home including a friend being shot, and then getting hit, thrown, and forced to ride in a wagon bouncing over rough terrain and finally being caught in a gun battle and watching your son getting dropped on the ground by a man on horseback. That could have caused any woman with child to do that."

Cici buried her face in Adam's chest. He could feel the warmth of her tears. He felt awful about making her cry but didn't want her to minimize what had happened to her. That would only lead to her feeling guilty about what had happened. He was very familiar with carrying a load of guilt and knew how harmful it could be. Cici had been passionate in their lovemaking. They had waited for everyone to go upstairs. Earlier as they sat outside after putting Davy in his cradle, Adam had whispered in her ear that he expected to make a lot of noise after missing her for ten days. He had asked if Doctor Martin had told her it was all right to have relations again, and she had nodded her head so enthusiastically it had reduced both of them to laughter. With everyone staying at the house yet, there was a concern for privacy especially as Joe's girls seemed inordinately intrigued by the two of them. It seemed to Adam that every time he touched his wife or kissed her there were two pairs of eyes watching his every move. It was disconcerting. Anna at nine years old was especially curious it seemed. Adam had little experience with young girls and found this aspect of raising girls to be almost embarrassing.

"Sweetheart, I didn't want to make you cry, but you need to place the blame on those men who did this. You did nothing wrong. We will have more children. It could be happening already, and if it isn't, I'll keep trying no matter how many times it takes. No sacrifice is too great."

Cici poked him in the ribs for that one.

"Ouch! Well at least you poked the ribs. I'm a little vulnerable lying here like this so I suppose I should be glad it was my ribs you attacked."

"Aw, should I kiss it and make it better?"

And of course that led to other things happening, and it looked like there would be another baby on the way soon if this behavior continued. Ben was walking by their room on his way to the kitchen for a cup of tea. He heard the bed creaking and smiled as he wondered if it was again or still. He was glad that his oldest son had found someone who loved him so unconditionally. All three sons were happily married now, but Cici probably had the biggest challenge in her marriage. Adam never did anything small it seemed. He loved with all of himself and was more loyal and protective than anyone Ben had ever met. However his temper and his dark moods were also on a grand scale, but Cici seemed not to be concerned about either. Perhaps she was the reason Adam was learning to control the negative side. Ben realized that lately the humorous smart mouth comments were still abundant but that the biting critical sarcastic commentary had diminished to almost nothing. It had to be the influence of Cici, but becoming a father may have been a very important factor as well. What Ben failed to realize was that his trust in his son and his respect for him had alleviated a lot of the tension in Adam and was more responsible than anything for his change in demeanor.

The next day Adam had to leave early for the lumber camps and the sawmill. With everything that had happened, he had been neglecting these two enterprises and there were contracts to be met. He needed to get up there to be sure that everything was working according to schedule. He would likely be gone a number of times in the next month to be sure those contracts were finished on time. The plan was that Cici and Davy would continue to stay at the main house until they were sure the crisis was past. Some ranch hands went to Adam's home daily to see to the stock and make sure that all was okay. Having Barbara, Rachel, and the children at the main house meant that the time passed quickly for all of them.

The only news they got about the crisis that had affected all of them was good. Matt and Jed recovered enough to return to the bunkhouse. Everyone started to relax and Joe and Rachel started to plan for the move back to their home. Bethany Leigh was just a little sad though as she would miss her uncles especially Adam for the two of them were close. Every night he was home it seemed Adam was reading to her in the evenings. Davy would rest on his lap and Bethany would snuggle into his side as he read stories. Davy didn't understand any of it of course but seemed to love the sound of his father's voice as Adam read and adopted various accents and voices for each story. Cici and Davy would stay at the main house until Adam would be home every night. For now, each visit to the timber camps was an overnight trip. In addition, Adam needed to hire men to replace Matt and Jed so that he could continue the projects at his home until those two were recovered enough to work again.

By mid-August, Joe and Hoss returned from town with the best news yet. Sebastian Crane had closed the Enders Mining Company office and was leaving town. Crane had been defiant until the governor's agents had visited him and mentioned that the attorney general was considering fraud charges against him. Soon after, he had hired attorneys to handle the sale of properties purchased and the liquidation of the assets of the company. Investors were getting back about ten percent of what they had invested. Mary Enders was ruined financially.

Joe and Rachel went with their daughters to open up their home and prepare it for their return. Hoss was in town with Barbara to see the doctor. Adam was away on another one of his trips concerning the lumber contracts. Ben was holding Davy and playing with him. More and more, Davy reminded Ben of Adam. At six months of age there was a quiet side of him unlike Joe's girls, but he observed everything and had a curiosity about all that was around him. Unlike Adam though, Davy would have a childhood with parents to lavish affection on him. He would never want. Cici told Ben she was going outside for a walk through the garden and to cut a few flowers for the dining table. Ben nodded as he played with his only grandson.

Several hours later, Joe and Rachel came in the house. Bethany and Anna raced over to Ben to get a last chance to play with Davy. Their parents had told them that they would pack up their belongings and spend that night at home. It had not taken long to get the house ready, and all of them were ready to return to a normal routine. Anna asked where Cici and Barbara were. For the first time, Ben wondered what was taking Cici so long to take a walk and cut some flowers. He asked Joe to go outside and tell her to come in to say goodbye to the girls. Within a few minutes, Joe was back carrying an empty basket.

"She's gone. I looked around and asked some of the hands and no one has seen her since Mary visited."

"Mary? I didn't see any visitors. Joe, get some of the men mounted up. We need to find out what is going on."

Joe did the tracking but there was little to see. Once they hit the main road to Virginia City, there were too many tracks to follow any one set. Roads branched off and wagons and carriages had passed through all of them. They had no choice but to go all the way into town. Once there, they alerted Roy who with his deputies conducted a search in town. Mary Enders had left the hotel without checking out. All of her belongings were gone from her room. At the livery stable, Mary had rented a carriage and ironically and suspiciously had told them she was going to the Ponderosa and that he should put the charges on their bill. She was overdue. At this point, no one knew where she was. Clem came over to tell them that Mary had purchased food and other items at the mercantile that day and said it was for the Ponderosa so that also was on their bill. In addition to food, she had purchased rope, blankets, a lantern, and basic kitchen supplies and most ominously a small pistol and ammunition. Apparently she had spun quite a tale for the shopkeeper so that she could get all of these things. It was becoming clear that Mary had kidnapped Cici. By now Hoss and Barbara had joined Joe, Ben, and Roy. Adam was expected home that evening. Telling this to him was going to be traumatic but he needed to know. They needed a plan of action, and Adam was the best at that. They hoped he would still be able to do that even though his wife was undoubtedly in great danger. With heavy hearts, the group returned to the Ponderosa.

 

Chapter 8

In darkness, Adam was trying to remember. There was something very important that he was supposed to do but he couldn't quite grab that thought as it flitted through his mind. His head hurt so badly and there was a pounding that interfered with his thinking. He couldn't open his eyes. At least he thought he couldn't open his eyes. He had thought he opened them once but there was nothing to see so he guessed that he had not actually opened his eyes. There were people here but one voice he couldn't remember at all. The other he knew belonged to someone very important to him but again that thought was as ephemeral as a ghost as it danced in and out of his memory. The other voice made him question if he was awake or dreaming. It seemed to be a person from the past and the present but was interspersed with a man's voice except that man wasn't here. He was mostly sure of that. Somehow this all should be making sense as part of a larger story, but the parts just were not fitting together or perhaps they did but he could not remember all of the pieces at once. Then it was quiet, and he wondered where the voices had gone. He waited and there was silence, and without planning to do so, he slipped into unconsciousness again.

Sometime later but he had no idea how long it had been, he awoke again. It was still so dark so perhaps little time had passed. Now he heard a new sound. It was a groaning sound and very close. Gradually he realized that it was his sound. He tried to stop the sound but it seemed to emanate from him without any conscious effort on his part. It was like another part of him that acted without input. But he heard another sound too. It sounded like 'hmmm, hmmm' and then someone pounding something into something. This was all very strange. Perhaps if he just waited, there would be someone willing to explain to him what was happening. He listened, and he heard something being slid across the floor by the sounds of it. Abruptly as that sound got very close, there was someone rubbing on his arm. They rubbed and rubbed. It was irritating but not painful. As quickly as it had started, it stopped and he felt warm breath on his face.

"Adam, Adam, can you hear me? Can you open your eyes?"

That voice was the one he liked. He tried to open his eyes but again it was so dark he couldn't see.

"I'm trying."

Talking was very hard too. Each word seemed to take so much effort. He closed his eyes to try to ready himself for the next task.

"Good, good. Adam, do you know who I am?"

Oh how he wished he could answer that question. He wanted to answer it so badly. He knew he would disappoint her if he couldn't but he just couldn't grab that name. He tried but nothing came to him.

"No. I'm sorry."

"That's all right. You took quite a blow to your head. At least you can understand my questions. You are doing fine. Just stay with me."

Adam snickered at that. How could he leave because he couldn't even think correctly so how could she think he could get up and go. Understanding that Adam misunderstood, Cici leaned close to talk with him.

"I mean that you should try to stay awake. I'll talk if that helps. Just open your eyes again if you want me to keep talking."

Adam opened his eyes but now he had a question if he could just get it all out.

"Why can't I see anything? It's so dark?"

Adam heard a gasp then and she didn't talk. She said she would talk so why wasn't she saying anything. This felt better though. With her leaning on his arm and talking with him, he no longer felt that he was floating. Now if he could just remember who she was. He knew she was important to him. What was her name? He kept thinking and suddenly remembered a name. He hoped it was the right one.

"Cici?"

"Oh, Adam, thank God. Do you think you can sit up?"

"Can you help me?"

"No, my hands are tied behind me. If I turn, can you try to untie the ropes? If you can't, it's all right."

Cici turned so that her hands were next to Adam's hands.

"Reach forward and you will feel my arms and hands. Then you can feel the rope and the knot. I think it is a simple knot but I can't reach it at all. If you can loosen it just a bit, I think I can slip my hands out."

Adam worked at the knot for quite a while. He was so disorganized in his thinking that mainly he was just randomly pulling and twisting various parts of the knots hoping to loosen some part of it. Suddenly without warning, one strand he pulled came loose. Cici quickly began working her hands to try to expand the ropes around her wrists. Then she pulled one hand out and the knot dropped to the floor. She pulled the gag from around her neck and stuffed it in her skirt pocket. Quickly untying the ropes around her ankles, she bent to whisper to Adam.

"I feel cool air coming from deeper in the tunnel we're in. Mary and her ally are out front barricaded inside the entrance. We have to go deeper and hope to find an exit. At the least, we will be hard for them to find. I'll help but you have to try to stand."

Adam slowly got to his knees with his hands still on the floor. With his head hanging down, he tried to get the dizziness to diminish. Cici was anxious to move but knew she had to let him regain as much of his equilibrium as possible so he wouldn't fall. First he moved his hands to his thighs and sat back on his heels. Then with Cici's help, he stood. One slow step at a time, Cici led him deeper into the mine. She carried a lantern in one hand. They had no food nor water so it was an act of desperation, but she had seen the look in Mary's eyes. Mary would kill them before letting them leave this mine. Her companion seemed little better as he did whatever she said. Cici couldn't tell if it was misplaced love and devotion or if the man was as crazy as Mary. Either way, they were not safe as long as those two were near.

Mary had taken Cici by gunpoint at the ranch. Once in the carriage, a man came from the trees and climbed in to take over the driving. At the mine, Mary had tied her hands behind her back and tied her ankles together after forcing her to write a note to her family demanding that an unarmed Adam deliver a large ransom. Once Adam neared the mine entrance, he had asked to see Cici before turning over the money. It had apparently been exactly what Mary wanted him to do. As he entered the tunnel entrance, Mary's friend had swung a long stave and hit Adam in the back of the head. He fell face first and hit his forehead on the rock floor. Cici was worried that he would die until she heard him stirring. They had been forced further back into the mine when the sheriff and the Cartwrights demanded that Adam and Cici be released. Apparently Mary had not thought through the plan very well and had expected to kill Adam and then ride off with the money. Undoubtedly now Mary was trying to come up with a new plan. Cici worried what that might be and wanted to be out of Mary's control before she decided what she was going to do.

Outside the mine, Ben and his sons were discussing a plan with Roy. There was no way to charge the mine. It was up a steep slope and they had barricaded most of the front. Joe had ridden to town to find anyone who had worked this mine and one man had said he did. He was with them now and had told them that there was an air shaft deep in the mine. It would be too small for a man of Adam's size to be pulled to freedom. Cici could get out though. And a smaller man could get in. Joe immediately had volunteered. Shorty wanted to go in too. Roy and Ben concurred that it was probably their best option at this point. Canteens, firearms, ammunition, and candles were collected and put in sacks. They would be lowered first. If all went well, then Joe and Shorty would follow. If they could, they would get Cici to the shaft and the men up above would pull her up. Joe and Shorty would stay to protect Adam. They had seen him fall from the first blow and the fear they all had was not voiced was that they were not sure he was still alive. However until they knew otherwise, they were going forward believing both Adam and Cici still lived.

Inside the mine, Mary had discovered that her prisoners were gone. She could not understand how that could be true. Her companion suggested they must have gone further into the mine to get away. She couldn't understand how that could be either. Instead she looked with wary eyes at the man who had been helping her for a share of the ransom. She raised her small pistol and shot him. As he fell, the shock on his face was complete. He had expected to kill Mary once they left the mine with the money. He had never even considered that she might have that plan for him. He fell forward from his knees and didn't move. He would bleed out but was mercifully unconscious as it happened. Then she ran into the mine. She thought she could hide until her enemies were gone and then she would escape to wreak her vengeance. After running for some time, she heard voices ahead and wondered how that could be. She stopped and doused her candle. As her eyes grew accustomed to the dark, she realized there was light ahead. She began to slowly creep through the tunnel toward the light.

Up ahead Adam and Cici had reached the base of the airshaft. There was a dim light emanating from it. Cici lit the lantern and turned up the wick just a little. She used the light to clean some of the blood from Adam's forehead with some cloth torn from her skirt. Then she used the bandanna that had been her gag to wrap around his head across both wounds. Adam was keeping his eyes tightly closed. When he opened them, his vision was fuzzy, everything was dark, and there were multiples of every shadow he could see. It made his stomach rebel so he kept his eyes shut. Suddenly several sacks tumbled from the airshaft to the floor. Next they could hear noises coming from the shaft and after a few minutes, a man dropped to the floor next to them.

"Oh, my God!"

"No, Cici, not God, just me."

Cici grabbed Joe in a hug. She was so relieved until Joe said she should go up the shaft, and he would stay with Adam.

"No. Adam is injured, and I need to stay with him."

Shorty emerged from the shaft then and began opening the sacks they had dropped. He handed a pistol to Joe and kept one for himself. They had an extra that they had planned to give to Adam, but one look at him sitting on the floor with a bandaged head and eyes tightly shut, and Shorty knew he was in no shape to help.

Without anyone hearing the sound of someone approaching, a bullet was fired into the chamber in which the two men were standing next to Cici who knelt next to Adam. Shorty dove toward the lantern and smashed it plunging the area into near darkness. Joe dropped in front of Cici and Adam to shield them. Another shot was fired and missed again. At this point it appeared that a ricochet was a greater threat than the shooter. A simple question from Shorty was whether they should charge the shooter and Joe answered that they should. Immediately both rushed along the walls toward the tunnel where the shots had originated. Mary heard the noise and turned to run but was hit from behind by Shorty. As she fell her gun flew out of her hand. She began to scream and thrash about so that Shorty was having a hard time hanging on to her. Joe tried to help and finally hit her in the jaw, and she fell back stunned.

Ben, Hoss, and Roy had been slowly approaching the mouth of the mine. When no shots were fired toward them, they had grown bolder, and as they entered the mine, they heard voices approaching. With immense relief, they saw Joe and Cici holding Adam between them. His head was bandaged and hanging down but he was moving his feet and trying to walk. Hoss rushed over, and with Ben, picked up Adam to carry him out of the mine. Shorty came next with Mary slung over his shoulder. Joe told Roy that a little further back in the tunnel was a dead man but that they had not shot him. They had found the carriage that Mary had rented and used it to transport Adam and Cici back to the Ponderosa. Joe rode to get Doctor Martin at Cici's request. With Adam's injuries, she wanted a second opinion especially from someone who had helped Adam with other head injuries he had suffered.

 

Chapter 9

Once more, Adam and Cici were ensconced in the downstairs bedroom. This time of course, Adam was the one that needed to rest and be quiet. He was not nearly as accommodating as Cici had been. He had always been a poor patient, and with all the responsibilities he had now, he was even grouchier at his imposed bed rest. Doctor Martin had concurred wholeheartedly with Cici that with the previous head injuries Adam had suffered especially the beating by Asa Moran and the more recent injuries he had suffered, they needed to be quite conservative in his treatment. At first his symptoms had scared Cici because of his persistent dizziness, nausea, headache, sensitivity to light, and sleepiness, but now that he was recovering and using less sleep powder and no laudanum, the other symptoms were diminishing rapidly. She was sitting on the side of the bed with him a week after he had been brought home with his eyes tightly shut against the light, and he asked her if he could please sit outside for a time.

"When the sun is higher, yes. There will be nice shade on the porch for you and likely no light reflected into your eyes. Just and hour or two more."

"I'm not happy with the wait but I am very glad that I will be freed from this gilded cage. Perhaps we could think of something pleasant to pass the time?"

"You can't. No excitement for another week at least. You can start back into doing some of your normal activities in a week."

"Just a kiss?"

Cici knew better but she missed him too. She leaned in to kiss him and he wrapped an arm around her waist to draw her closer. The kiss lasted a long time and included a little more gentle touching before Cici knew she had to pull away. She offered to ask Hop Sing to make them a lunch that they could eat outdoors. He was disappointed that she had moved away from him, but he knew that her plan meant more time outside of the bedroom so Adam readily agreed that she had a wonderful idea. Davy would be awake soon and all three of them could have lunch together. Adam would enjoy holding his son as the two of them ate lunch. Lunch would keep Davy relatively quiet so that would help as well. Cici knew that Adam was far from recovered and she needed to find ways to accommodate his needs but keep him resting as well.

Rachel and the girls had been visiting and with Hop Sing, Barbara, and Hoss' children had been busy in the kitchen making cookies. Anna made frequent trips to the dining room to place trays of cookies to cool on the dining room table. As Hop Sing prepared to shift from cookie baking to lunch making, he shooed the girls out of the kitchen. Rachel retrieved cookies from the table to place them in containers she had washed. Barbara helped Hop Sing prepare lunch. Anna and Bethany headed outside to let Hoss know it was time for lunch.

The rest of the day passed very pleasantly. Adam enjoyed his respite from the bedroom. He had tried to read but the words and letters still had a tendency to swim on the page, which aggravated his headache so he had quit soon after trying. Cici had warned him it was too soon and he was chagrined to see her watching him as he closed the book and set it aside.

"Oh, all right. You're the doctor. I'll listen."

Cici walked over to him and suggested that perhaps checkers would be a better pastime. She went inside to get the new set that Hoss had purchased for playing outside. The board and the checkers were much larger and would be easier for Adam to look at. For a few hours they had a pleasant time playing and talking. It was the most relaxed they had been able to be for a long time. Finally Cici said she needed to go inside to check on Davy. Hoss had come outside and offered to take Cici's spot playing checkers and Adam was only too happy to oblige him because it meant he could stay outside longer. Anna and Bethany came outside and asked Hoss if they could go look at the new kittens in the stable. Hoss gave permission but told them to stay back a bit as mama kitty was a little overprotective of her newborns. Joe rode in about an hour later and asked where Rachel and the girls were. In a short time, Joe came storming out of the stable with his daughters.

Anna had told him a story about what she had seen Adam and Cici doing. He challenged Adam for being so public in his affections. Cici asked Hoss to help Adam inside even as she asked Joe to please be quiet so they could talk about it. Joe didn't want to wait but Rachel saw how red Anna was and she too asked Joe to wait. Once they had a chance to talk quietly, Joe said that Anna had seen Adam touching Cici intimately and had asked her father about that. Cici looked at Anna.

"The only place that has ever happened has been in our bedroom. How did you see that, Anna?"

"It's your fault. You're the one who didn't close the door tightly enough and there was an opening that I could see through."

"Especially after you pushed on the door a little?"

Caught, Anna didn't have anything more to say because it would be a lie. She wasn't very good at lying and knew what would happen if she tried. She knew too that she was in a lot of trouble already for being so curious and in asking questions she shouldn't have asked. Cici went inside. Later, Anna came in the house with a tear-streaked face and apologized to everyone one-by-one in the great room. Then she went to sit on a chair near the stairs, and the pained look on her face as she sat was evidence enough that her parents had done more than talk with her. Joe and Rachel stood by the door and watched to be sure she did what she had been instructed to do. Joe asked if Cici was in with Adam and got a yes. He went to the door and knocked softly. Hearing a quiet 'come on in', he entered.

"Adam, I am so sorry. I had no right to say what I said. I hope you can find a way to forgive me."

"Joe, could you sit with Adam for a bit. I need to check on Davy."

Adam was sitting in bed leaning back into pillows piled up to the headboard. He lifted his hand to signal Joe to come closer. In a whisper, he made a request.

"Sit next to me so you can talk more softly. Talking loudly makes my head hurt."

Joe sat on the bed and leaned back to sit at his brother's side. In softer voices, they conversed.

"Adam, you are so lucky to have a boy. These girls are something else. Scares me all the time what could happen to them. My fear makes me act stupid some time, and I need to ask your forgiveness again."

Adam smiled and laid his head back more.

"Never did take much to make you act stupid."

Joe knew from the gentle jibe that all was well between them. Hoss peeked in the door and Joe signaled him to come in. In a soft voice, he told Hoss why they were being so quiet. Hoss came over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Looks like everything's all right with you two again."

Without opening his eyes, Adam addressed Hoss.

"Joe thinks you ought to have a boy. With the way his girls act, I'm thinking all boys is not a bad idea."

"Well it shur worked out all right with us, didn't it?"

"I don't know. I'm thinking about some of the things I did, and we both know some of the things Joe did."

Joe snickered at that. All three were quiet for a time until Hoss offered something that they could agree to. "Maybe girls ain't such a bad idea."


End file.
